The Russellville Democrat., 1887-12-07
 PHARMACIES SERMON.
King David's Thirst During 0 Bat
 tie With the Philistines.
The Refreshing Drausht From the W ell of Bcthlchen Compared With the Perpetual Joy Drawn From
 tho Well of the Gospel.

 De Witt Talmage at the Brooklyn Tab- ernacle was "Thirst in Cavcrn," pre- dicated on the following text:
 on. that one would give me drink Of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate. III. Samuel xxlii-, D.
 War. always distressing, is especially ruinous in harvest time. When the crops are all ready for the sickle, to have them trodden down by cavalry horses and heavy suppIy-trains gullying the folds, is snough to make any mans heart sick. When the last great war broke out in Eu- rope, and France and Germany were com ing into horrid collision, 1 rode across their golden harvests and saw their tents pitched, and the trenches dug in the very midst of the ripe fields, the long scythe of battle sharpening to now down harvests of men in great winrows of the dead. It was at this season of harvest that the army of the Philistines came down upon Bethlehem. Hark to the clamor of their voices, the neighiug of their chargers, the blare of their trumpets, and the clash of their shields
 Let David and his mon fall backi The Lords host sometimes loses the day. But David knew where to hide. He had been brought up in that country. Boys are in G0iEitlNe, anu EutN kHbN ull 0DOub tno region where they were born and brought up. If you should go back to the old home. stead, you could, with your eyes shut, find your way to the meadow, or the orchard, or the hill back of the house, with which you were familiar thirty or forty years ago. So David knew the cave at Adullam. Perhaps, in his boyhood days, he had played shide-and- seek" with his comrades all about the old cave, and though others might not have known it, David did. Travellers say there is only one way of getting into that cave, and that is by a very narrow path; but David was stout, and steady-headed, and steady and so, with bis three brave staH-officers, he goes along that path, finds his way into the cave, sits down, looks around at the roof and the dark passages of the mountain, feels very weary with the forced march; and water he must have or die.
 do not know but there may have been drops trickling down the side of the cav orn, or that there may have been some water in the goat skin slung to his girdle, but that was not what he wanted. He wanted deep, full, cold drink, such as . man gets only out of an old well with moss-covered bucket. David remembered that very near that cave of Adullam there -.sss such we'll as that, we'll to which he used to go in boyhood- the we'll of Bethlehem; and he almost imagines that be can hear the liquid plash of that well, and his parcned tongue moves through his hot lips as he says:
 Oh. that one would give mo drink of the wa ter of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate.
 It was no sooner said than done. The three brave staff officers bound to their feet and start. Brave soldiers will take even a hint from their commander. But between them and the well lay the host of the Philistines; and what could three men do with a great armyi Yet where there is will there Is a -cxay, and with their swords slashing this Way and that, they make their path to the we'll While the Philistines are amazed at the seeming foolhardiness of these three mon, aud can not make up their mindA exactly what it means, the three men have come to the well. They drop the bucket. They bring up the water. They pour it in the pail, and then start for the cave. s'Stop them 1" cry the Philistines. "Clip them with your swords. Stab them with your spears. Stop those three menw Too late. They have got around the hill. The hot rocks are sol ashed with the overfowing water from the vessel as it is carried up the cliffs. The three men go along the dan- gerous path, and with cheeks flushed with the excitement, and all out of breath in their haste, to the side of the cave, and cry out to David: ''There, captain of the host, is what you wanted, drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate.
 A text is of no use to me unless can find Christ in it; and unless I can bring a gospel out of these words, that will arouse and comfort and bless, l shall wish I had never seen them; for your time would be wasted and against my soul the dark record would be made that this day stood before great audience of shining, suffering and dying men, and told them of no rescue. By the cross of the Son oi God, by the throne of the eternal judg ment, that shall not bel May the Lord Jesus help me to tell you the truth to day!
 You know that carrier pigeons have sometimes let tors tied under their wings, and they fly hundreds of milestone hun- dred miles an hour-carrying message. So have thought 1 would like to have il now. Oh, heavenly dovei bring under thy wing today, to my soul and to the souls of this people, some message of light, and love, and peacel
 It is not an unusual thing to see people gather around we'll in summertime. The husbandman puts down his cradle ai the well curb. The builder puts down his troweL The traveller puts down his pack. Then one draws the water for all the rest, himself taking the very last. The cup Is passed around and the fires of thirst are put out; tho traveller starts on his jour- nev and the workman tslre--sr- -hisahur- sYfiends, we comic to-day around the Gospel well. We put down onr pack of burdens, and our implements of toil. One man must draw the waters for those who have gathered around the well. l will try and draw the water to-day; and if, after have poured out from this living fountain for your soul. just taste of it myself. you will not begrudge me
 A drink from the water of the well of Bethle- hem, which is by the gate.
 The Gospel well, like the well spoken of in the text, is well of Bethlehem. David had known hundreds of wells of water, but he wanted to drink from that particu- lar one, and he thought nothing could slake his thirst like that. And unless your soul and mine can get access to the foun' tain open for sin and uncleanness, we must die. That fountain is the well of Bethlehem. It was dug in one night. It was dug by the light of lantern--the star that hung down over the manager. 1t was due not at the gate of Cesar's palaces, not in the park of n Jerusalem bargain maker. It was dug in barn. The camels lifted their weary heads tc listen as the work went on. The shep- herds, unable to sleep, because the heay. ems were filled with bands of music, came down to see the opening of the well. The angels of God, at the first gush of the liv- ing water, dipped their chalices of joy into it, and drank to the health of earth and Heaven, as they cried:
 c;iary to God in tho hishest and on earth peace.